CULTIVATION USING OPTIC FIBER TO FUNNEL

NATURAL LIGHT

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for closed cultivation using optic fiber to funnel natural light.

2. Description of Related Art

[0002] Now days photobioreactors usually employ direct or passive use of sunlight for microalgae photosynthesis which is a non-optimal use of sunlight and leads to unsteady growing rates due to the naturally changing lighting conditions. In addition, the use of open systems (such as open ponds) or non-homogenous closed systems (such as polyethylene sleeves) allow higher contamination level then preferred during the growing process, which results in higher costs. Such systems do not allow sophisticated control and analysis of the cultivation process.

[0003] Hence, an improved systems and methods as described in this application are still a long felt need. BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] According to an aspect of the present invention a cultivation system comprising: at least one closed cultivation tank comprising: optic fiber based light dispersing subsystem; double walled external wall adapted to allow cooling of the liquid within said tank; nutrient dispensing unit adapted to allow dispensing of nutrients into the liquid within said tank; and gas dispensing unit adapted to allow dispensing of gases into the liquid within said tank, a natural light concentration and tunneling subsystem using optical fiber; at least one optical coupler coupling said tunneling subsystem outgoing optical fibers to said cultivation tank ingoing optical fibers; at least one sensing means adapted to sense parameters within said system's components; a control unit comprising at least one computing device adapted to receive sensed data from said sensors and manage said system's processes.

[0005] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said natural light is sunlight and said natural light concentration and tunneling subsystem comprise at least one lens mounted on a sun tracking apparatus.

[0006] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said natural light concentration and tunneling subsystem comprise at least one optical filter adapted to filter unwanted wavelengths from the concentrated collected light.

[0007] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber.

[0008] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said optical coupler allow coupling one of said outgoing optical fibers to more than one of said ingoing optical fibers.

[0009] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said optical coupler allow coupling more than one of said outgoing optical fibers to one of said ingoing optical fibers. [0010] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said optic fiber based light dispersing subsystem comprise side emitting optic fibers.

[0011] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said natural light concentration and tunneling subsystem further comprise a flashing effect creating unit wherein said flashing unit comprise at least one ingoing optic fiber funnel ing generally constant light and at least one outgoing optic fiber funneling a flashing light.

[0012] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said natural light concentration and funneling subsystem further comprise a hybrid light unit adapted to detect and compensate low illumination levels.

[0013] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said at least one sensor comprise an optical sensing device adapted to sense parameters relating to cultivated material within said tank.

[0014] It is further within provision of the invention be wherein said natural light concentration and funneling subsystem further comprise a hybrid light unit adapted to provide light in predetermined wavelengths.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for cultivating organisms within a closed tank using indirect natural light, comprising steps of: collecting natural light using at least one lens into an optic fiber; filtering said light to remove unwanted wavelengths; funneling said light from said fiber to cultivating tank's ingoing optic fiber using an optic coupler wherein said coupler further comprise flashing mechanism; dispersing said light inside said tank using side emitting optic fibers; controlling the temperature of a liquid within said tank using a double wall in said tank; sensing organisms growing related parameters using sensors; and tracking, controlling and dispensing nutrients and gasses using a control unit comprising a computing device.

[0016] These, additional, and/or other aspects and/or advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the components of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates the tank and fibers of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following description is provided, alongside all chapters of the present invention, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of said invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, will remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide a means and method for closed cultivation using optic fiber to funnel natural light.

[0019] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Just as each feature recalls the entirety, so may it yield the remainder. And ultimately when the features manifest, so an entirely- new feature be recalled. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. [0020] The phrases "at least one", "one or more", and "and/or" are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A. B and C". "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, or C" and "A, B, and/or C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

[002] ] The term 'plurality' refers hereinafter to any positive integer (e.g, 1 ,5, or 10).

[0022] Generally speaking, the system and method may allow an efficient cultivation of microalgae, macroalgae and other water based organisms using light, such as sun light, in a closed tank by concentrating and tunneling the light into the tank in which the light is dispersed in a calculated way to allow efficient dispersing.

[0023] In an embodiment of the invention, the cultivation system 100 may comprise several elements. The first element is one or more closed cultivations tanks 105.

[0024] The closed cultivation tank comprises a double external wall in order to allow cooling or heating of the liquid within the tank, such wall increase the area for heat transfer and to better control the temperature of the liquid within the tank, which may be monitored using a variety of temperature sensors that may report to the control unit 107 which further may change the temperature accordingly.

[0025] The closed tank may further have optic fiber based light dispersing subsystem. Such subsystem may allow several ingoing optic fibers to enter the tank and disperse the light evenly or otherwise calculated way to allow efficient support for the growing organisms.

[0026] The tank may further make use of pumps, impellers and stirrers of any type to stir the liquid within the tank and further comprise at least one ingoing liquid line and at least one outgoing liquid line. In some embodiments of the invention the ingoing and outgoing lines may be a single line base on time sharing mechanism. [0027] In further embodiments of the invention, a circulation line may create a liquid inspection spot 108 in which sensors may be positioned. Such sensors may report to the control unit which further may change parameters to create the desired effects.

[0028] Nutrient and gas dispensing units 110 may further be used, the units may be adapted to allow dispensing of nutrients and gases into the liquid within the tank to create an environment suitable and preferred for the desired growth of the organisms within the tank. The gasses and nutrients may be dispensed in fashions as known in the art.

[0029] In some embodiments of the invention, the nutrient and gas dispensing units as well as the light and light wavelength control may better allow growth of mixotrophic algae and other mixotrophic organisms.

[0030] The system may employ an external natural light concentration and funneling subsystem which may make use of optical fibers to funnel the concentrated light into the tank.

[0031] The subsystem may allow concentration of natural light such as sun light 101 using one or more lenses 102 mounted on a sun tracking apparatus 109.

[0032] In some embodiments of the invention, the optical fiber may be a plastic based optical fiber while in further embodiments the optic fibers may be side emitting fibers/side glow fibers, etc.

[0033] In further embodiments of the invention, the natural light concentration and funneling subsystem may comprise one or more optical filters 104 adapted to filter unwanted wavelengths from the collected light. Such filter may be arranged in any formation as known in the art in order to achieve the desired filtration based on the requirements of the specific organisms. Such may allow a sunlight regime management block that may allow control over the spectral density and the time domain behavior of the sunlight that is used by the organisms. Such may further make use of active optical switch controlled by the control unit to time the exposure. [0034] In addition, the subsystem may comprise an optical coupler 103 which may be connected before or after the filter to allow funneling the light from the concentration subsystem to the in-tank's dispersing optic fibers.

[0035] In some embodiments of the invention, said coupler may allow coupling one concentration subsystem's outgoing fiber to several tank ingoing optic fibers and vice versa. This may allow, for example, using a single fiber outgoing from the collection and concentration subsystem to connect to two tank ingoing fibers that may be positioned head to tail to each other and hence to compensate loss of energy and light along the line. In some embodiments of the invention, each tank ingoing optic fibers may be connected to two concentration subsystem's outgoing fiber and the tank ingoing fiber may be positioned in a "U" shape (or similar), such may have one or more advantages, such as a more uniform lighting profile along the fibers route as well as preventing ends of fibers in the tank.

[0036] In some embodiments of the invention, the natural light concentration and funneling subsystem may further comprise a flashing effect creating unit which may allow one or more ingoing optic fiber funneling that usually funnel a mostly constant light to funnel the light in a flashing manner. This may allow restricting the amount of light reached into the tank as well as to better control the in-tank dispersment of the funneled light. In addition, studies showed that non-continuous lighting at changing frequencies may be beneficial to the growing process.

[0037] In further embodiments of the invention, night and poor lighting conditions may be compensated using a hybrid system that may allow boosting the natural light using one or more non-natural light device. Such may be activated using the control unit upon sensing of insufficient natural light collected or funneled and 'injecting' non-natural light using the coupler and/or flashing units. In other embodiments of the invention, the non-natural light may be unrelated to the natural light conditions and/or added in order to provide certain wavelengths, etc.

[0038] The system may employ an array of sensors 108 to sense parameters relevant to the growing process and to contamination of such. For example, sensors may sense using standard liquid phase sensors (such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen. dissolved C02, turbidity, salinity, nitrate, etc.) and gas phase sensors (such as oxygen, C02, etc.).

[0039] In addition, the system may employ an optical sensing device adapted to sense parameters relating to cultivated material within the tank. The in-line microscope 106 image processing unit may include two sub-units: the microscope and the image processing unit (which in some embodiments of the invention may be part of the control unit ^' s computing device). The in-line microscope may be digital and electronically controlled, so that cultivation images may be taken automatically and regularly according to a predefined scheme or semi-automatically. The image processing unit may be a software based analyzing unit, which may be able to examine the condition of the organisms at the cell level, to detect defects or contaminations, and to count the number of cells for density measurement.

[0040] The control unit may make use of a computing device adapted to track and receive sensed data from the sensors and manage the system's processes.

[0041] Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.